Automatic water valve



Septn 14, 1948. E. 1 HALvERsoN AUTOMATIC WATER VALVE Filed Feb. 23, 1945 Patented Sept. 14, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC WATER, VALVE Elmer L. Halverson, Sacramento, Calif. Application February 23, 1945, Serial No. 579,413

101mm. (c1. 137-104) This invention -relates to improvements in water valves and is particularly directed to an automatic water valve for use preferably for controlling the iiow of water into watering pans or troughs for poultry, although lit probably will be found .adaptable to other uses where the automatic control of a iiow of water is desired.

The main object of my invention is to provide, as an article of manufacture, a unitary self-contained valve mechanism which may be threaded 4in its entirety upon the end of any standard water outlet pipe. i

A further object is to provide such a device in .which the functioning of the valve will be completely automatic and extremely sensitive as it is essential to control the necessary slow flow of water into poultry pans or troughs.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a very simple and ready means whereby the valve parts may be assembled or disassembled as may be necessary to replace worn parts thereof.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly eiiective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a watering pan `or trough showing my improved valve mechanism mounted in connection therewith, the water pipe and valve tting being shown in section. In this view the parts of the valve structure are shown in the position assumed when the valve is close-d.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan View of my improved valve with the oat element detached.

Figure 3 is a sectional View of the valve tting and the pipe to which it is connected, both being foreshortened and showing the valve mechanism in section. In this view the parts of the valve structure are shown in the position assumed when the valve is in open position.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the letter T indicates the water receptacle into which the flow of water is to be controlled by my improved valve mechanism,

The letter P indicates the pipe through which water is to be delivered to the receptacle T and which is of standard structure and projects to a point adjacent the receptacle T for delivery of water thereto. Y The pipe P is provided with the usual standard end threading I.

My improved unitary valve structure is made up of a valve tting 2 which is preferably in the form of a hexagonal `cap having standard interior threads 3 adapted to be threaded upon the threads I of the pipe P. The material from which this cap is made would be preferably brass but it may, of. course, be made of any other suitable metal. 4

In the end of the cap 2 I provide a threaded orifice 4. The numeral 5 designates a cylindrical valve body. At a point somewhat back from its lower end, this body 5 is provided with exterior threads 6 through the medium of which it may be screwed into the threads Il of the cap 2, whereby to project a portion of the body 5 beyond the end of the cap 2.

Just above the threads 6 the body 5 is `pro-- vided with an annular flange 'I which engages the inner side of the closed end of the cap when the body 5 is screwed into said cap 2, so as to make a water-tight joint and to ix the extent of projection of the body beyond the closed end of the cap.

Removably screwed within the body 5 is the valve parts V which may be of any -desired construction involving a spring press valve 8 seating against the valve seat 9 and being made water-tight by a suitable gasket I0. Projecting `downwardly from the valve 8 is the valve stem II which projects into that portion of the body 5 which extends out from the cap 2` Normally the spring S of the valve 8 holds the valve closed and the stem II projects well into the extended end of the body 5.

A pair of spaced ears I2 are formed on and project outwardly from the closed end of the cap 2 in substantial parallelism with the exten-ded end of the body 5. A lever finger I3 is mounted on a cross-pin I4 extending through the ears I2 and projects through a slot I5 formed in the projecting end of the body 5 to a point where it engages the end of the valve stem I I.

At the outer end of the lever finger |13 is secured a float rod I6. This rod is connected with the lever finger I3 by a nut and bolt assembly I'I, whereby the position of the rod I6 may be readily adjusted with respect to sai-d lever finger I3.

At its outer end the rod I6 is provided with circular convolutions I8 into which may be screwed the threaded end I9 of an ordinary electric light globe 20 which acts as a iioat. A burned-out globe would naturally be used for this purpose, although any type of globe or any type of oat found adaptable could -be used at this point.

When the valve unit is assembled on Ithe end of the pipe P, through `the adjustment Il the oat 20 is adjusted to that position 'at which it is ydesired to have the water level and at which level the lever nger I3 will be out -of lcontact with the valvel stem l-I. However, .when the water in the receptacle 'I' dropsbelow the water level', the float 2D Will lower. The weight of the float and its associated parts will then move the lever nger `I3 on its pivot I4 and cause it to yliftl the .valvey -stem Il. Consequently the valve 8'r will then b lifted from its seat Iallowing waterto flow into the receptacle T until .the proper water levelY is again reach-ed, whereupon the lever finger will release lthe valve stem `and the valve willr closer l From the foregoing description it will readily seen that my improved valve structure may be made up very Icheaply; and into a very compact package and 'distributed through regular Volianrnels where it may be purchased 4and then Without any mechanical diniculty whatsoever,

mounted upon the end of any standard pipev and adjusted for desired use.

Also should any ot the parts` become worn there is presented no involved problem of replaen ing Worn parts with new ones. I believeV that my improved valve structure is unique and has great utility in thel respects noted.

While this-specification sets for-th in detail the present Aand preferred construction of thev device, still iri practice such `deviations `from Such detail may beresorted to as do notform a de'peufture from thespiri-t of4 ythe invention, as dened by the appended claim; j

Having -thus described the invention, the foln lowing' is claimed as nevvqand useful and upon which Letters Patent is desired:

An article of manufacture comprising a threaded ycap for threading onto a standard pipe end, -a threaded orice tapped through the bottom of the leap, a self-contained valve. such valve in- 5 cludng a substantially cylindrical casing, a projeoting Hang-e on the lcasing intermediate its ends, threads 'on the casing below the flange such threads being threaded through the threaded oriingthe Icap with they outer` endet the casing .projecting outside the bottom .of .thfev cap, lthe flange engaging the inner face of the bottom of the cap about the threaded orice to x the position of the 4easing outside the bottom of the cap, re'rro'Vahlel valve mechanism within lthe casing including ar stem projecting to a point outside the bottom lof the cap, and a oat controlled lever ngerwpivoted ori `cap `and engageable with fthe valve stem.

ELMER L. HALVERSON.

REFERENCES* CITED The following references are of record in' Vthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PTENTS Number Name Date j 718,550 Vaughan Jan. 13, 1903 1,13'72'14 Keuey Apr. 27', 1915 1557.9,140 Phi1'1ips Mar. 30j, 1926 1,590,057' Coleman fret. 3o', 1928 1,736,368 Ricard Nov. 19, 1929 1,874,204 Nesbit Aug. 30, 1932 2,07Q,O'98 Woolley May 4, 19537 2,136,707 Owens Nov. 15; 193s FOREIGN PATENTS NumberA l Country Date 12,801 Great Britain Aug. 14', 1389 

